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m °st of which depend on misrepresentations of the strength of the positions I° e cupied. They were not stronger than General Lee ’s; indeed, my course wasas like his as the dissimilarity of the two Federal commanders permitted. Ashis had increased his great fame, it is not probable that the people, whoa dmired his course, condemned another similar one. As to Georgia , the StateIa ost interested, its two most influential citizens, Governor Joseph E. Brown ail d General Howell Cobb , remonstrated against my removal.
The assertions in Mr. B. H. Hill’s letter [of October 12th, 1878] quoted byMr : Davis [“ R. and F.,” VoL II., p. 557] do not agree with those in his orationdelivered in Atlanta in 1875. Mr. Hill said in the oration: “ I know that hedvlr. Davis) consulted General Lee fully, earnestly, and anxiously before thisfle^haps unfortunate removal.” That assertion is contradicted by one whoseestimony is above question—for in Southern estimation he has no superioras gentleman, soldier, and civilian—General Hampton. General Lee had ae °nversation with him on the subject, of which he wrote to me:
. On that occasion lie expressed great regret that you had been removed, and said that hed done all in his power to prevent it. The Secretary of War had recently been at his head-barters near Petersburg to consult as to this matter, and General Lee assured me that lie hadsed ]q r . Seddon not to remove you from command, and had said to him that if you could not^dnunand the army we had no one who could. lie was earnest in expressing not only his regrety°Ur removal, but his entire confidence in yourself.”
Everything seen about Atlanta proved that it was to be defended. We had. e<!| 1 strengthening it a month, and had made it, under the circumstances,^dpregnable. We had defended Marietta, which had not a tenth of itsle Lgth, twenty-six days. General Sherman appreciated its strength, for he,tl!l Te no attack, although he was before it about six weeks.
I Was a party to no such conversations as those given by Mr. Hill. Nodier above idiocy could express the opinions he ascribes to me.
^ r '- Davis condemned me for not fighting. General Sherman’s testimony^d that of the Military Cemetery at Marietta refute the charge. I asserta t liafl one of the other lieutenant-generals of the army (Hardee or Stewart)deeded me, Atlanta would have been held by the Army of Tennessee.
BY W. P. C. BRECKINRIDGE, COLONEL, C. S. A.
X Paper “Opposing Sherman’s Advance fet ' an ta,” General Joseph E. Johnston — daruvnerabile nomen —writes [see p. 203] :
ingTlWrwitli liis division arrived at Resaoa tliat. eve^'irin’it was charged with the defense of the pliic
v?es t S 16 lla ' y onl ' cavalry was driven from the gromWas ''.^‘'chy-face through the gap. Origshy’s hrigai( >uc near Dug Gup,—the remainder in front.
Mou l( f ~ A hout 4 o’clock r. M. of the 8th, Geary’s (Inh’hds’s a *’°' tor ’ s corps attacked two regiments of Eoand Gcansas Brigade, who were guarding Dug' Ga' VVere noon joined By Grigsby’s Brigade on foeC0ll flict Hound of musketry indicated so sharp
t° l Y, lat bleutemmt-General Hardee was request*GranVvnry’s Texan Brigade to the help of o
people, and to take command there himself. These ac-cessions soon decided the contest, and the enemy wasdriven down the hill. . . .
“ Information had been received of the arrival of theArmy of the Tennessee in Snake Creek Gap on the 8th.At night on the 9tli General Cantey reported that he hadBeen engaged with those troops until dark. Lieutenant-General Ilood was dispatched to Resaea with threedivisions immediately.”
It so happened that the brigade of Kentucky cavalry was present at Dug Gap and Snake CreekGap, and that the regiment I commanded — the 9thKentucky Cavalry—was in front at both places;and it may not be improper to put on record an